One of the biggest challenges of Valentine’s Day is coming up with ideas on making the “mailboxes” that your child will need to receive their Valentine’s Day cards at school. If you are like me, you spend so much time looking for ideas that by the time you are ready to make it, either you have run out of time, or are so burned out from ideas you don’t know which idea to make. Hopefully, I will be able to give you some novel ideas, or even help with some standard ideas, and save you some time looking around.

First, last year, my seven year old daughter found an idea that was completely different. She saw a fleece pillow with a large heart on the top. This was her absolutely necessary “mailbox” for school. We got a pillow form, some fleece material and started working. The fabric was cut larger than the form so we could tie knots all around. Before knotting, we sewed a large heart to the front of the pillow. It was basted in such a way that it was easily removed after Valentine’s Day and the pillow is still being used on her bed. One of the websites that I really like, MakingFriends.com, has a kit to make a pillow (http://www.makingfriends.com/gifts/fleece_tie_pillow.htm). We did not buy the kit, just purchased the material my daughter liked and made it at home.

This website also has an interesting twist on an old favorite-making a Valentine’s Day holder from a paper bag. The cards are put into pockets created by using two paper bags. It is well worth taking the time to look here: http://makingfriends.com/winter/valentine_paper_bag_card_holder.htm

Sometimes all you really want is something easy and traditional. Card holders made from shoe boxes are great for this. Just cover them in the wrapping paper of your choice, cut a hole in the top and magically you have a mailbox. To make it easier to retrieve the valentines later, wrap the top and bottom of the box separately. Your child will have a fun time decorating if you wrap the box in plain white paper and let them decorate it just the way they would want. It’s always fun watching how they create their masterpieces!

If you have paper or foam plates, you could cut one in half and then glue or staple one whole and one half plate together. Punch some holes in the top, put some ribbon through there and then decorate. This is also another easy idea that some kids really like. For more ideas for plates, or shoe boxes, DLTK Kids has some really cute ideas. You can find their main page at http://www.dltk-holidays.com/valentines/crafts-holders.htm. Looking at these ideas could lead you to several others, but give you the basic instructions you may need to get started.

If you have any ideas that have been useful for you, please feel free to share them with other readers. I would love to hear from you concerning this, or any other craft ideas, you may have.